


The Snowball Effect

by LadyLace



Category: One Piece
Genre: Chaptered, Drowning, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gen, Half naked men, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Light Angst, M/M, Rivals, Wet Clothing, kind of, or will be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-05 14:26:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4183236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLace/pseuds/LadyLace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snowball Effect - where a situation starts out small/insignificant and gradually grows to become a more serious problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kind of just dumping all my fics from tumblr that don't have a home into ao3 cuz I can. Also, I'm evil and like giving out cliffhangers.
> 
> Again, ENJOY~
> 
> Kind of sorry it's so short, tho.

He lay unconscious in the freezing water. Partially submerged, partially afloat. His hair followed the gentle movements of the small waves caused by the wind; billowing outwards in all directions. His expensive suit was soaked through and would likely be unsalvageable to even the most talented of tailors.

His body temperature was lowering to dangerous levels. His pallor was pale and his lips were blue. If he did not wake soon he would not wake at all. Zoro floated some distance away in a similar state. A chill racked the swordsman’s body and he startled awake. The cold hit him like a thousand knives driving into his skin at once. He put a hand down on the shore of the lake and propped himself up. He saw Sanji and his eyes widened.

He swam towards him, his teeth chattering and an urgency igniting the fire in his bones. They’d come to this place for a reason. They couldn’t die now. Not here. Zoro reached the blond and gathered the still man into his arms. He half swam, half-dragged their bodies up the muddy shore. Zoro’s muscles burned with exertion and the cold.

He ripped off his clothes and laid them out on a branch of a tree nearby to dry. He gathered wood for a fire and has to resort to using one of his prized swords as a makeshift flint. The fire roared to life and Zoro dragged the cook’s body as close as he dared. “Sorry, cook,” he muttered before peeling the blond’s clothes off.

The swordsman hadn’t been expecting an answer, but even so the stillness bothered him. He’d checked to see if the blond was breathing earlier, but what if…

“Cook.” Zoro put two fingers to the vein in Sanji’s wrist. He sighed out in relief.

The swordsman checked the man’s breathing as well. He hovered close to the blond’s chest. He didn’t feel anything. Not a single breath.

“Shit.”

He pinched Sanji’s nostrils together and tipped his head back. He covered the other man’s mouth with his own and tried to force air into the cook’s lungs. Suddenly, the blond’s body spasmed and a gurgling sound came from the back of his throat. Zoro quickly turned the cook on to his side, who started vomiting up the lake water and coughing simultaneously. The swordsman sat back and heaved a sigh of relief. That had been far too close for comfort.

Zoro looked back down at the cook. He must have passed out again. A corner of Zoro’s mouth lifted slightly. He wished they had a blanket, but just body heat would have to suffice for now. The swordsman entangled his body with the cook’s, snuggling into the leaner man’s shoulder blades. He moved his head up to rest at the juncture of the cook’s neck. He inhaled the cook’s scent and smiled briefly.

Zoro’s tan arms wrapped around Sanji’s midsection and brought their bodies closer. The swordsman’s eyes drifted shut, falling asleep to the thought of how Sanji would react to their current position when he woke.

 

 

**_TBC_ **


	2. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blondie wakes up and has a cold. dramatics ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read!
> 
> A big hug to everyone who's bookmarked/kudo-ed!
> 
> And special cookies to those who commented! THANK YOU! I LOVES YOU ALL!<3
> 
> The next update will be for Time Moves On.

Zoro woke to sunlight blinding him and the cold, hard ground on his back. The cook was still in his arms; still asleep. The swordsman poked at the blond and shook him gently. "Swirly-brows," he murmured, "wake up."

The leaner man did not even so much as stir. So, Zoro sighed, redressed himself and the blond in their somewhat dry clothing, and arranged the cook on his back in order to carry him.

**=*^*=**

He'd been walking for hours in a mindless daze, just keeping upright for the sake of himself and the cook who seemed to prefer spending his time being asleep than making use of himself and just being a general pain in the ass for Zoro.

Not that that was an unusual occurrence for either of them. Quite the opposite, in fact. They loved to get under each other's skin like an annoying parasite, but Zoro would much rather be arguing with the blond than deal with this unbearable silence that surrounded him. He'd gotten used to his crew's loud, obnoxious ways and it seemed that he could no longer stand the dead of silence. 

He saw this as a weakness that ultimately needed to be rectified as quickly as possible. He would never beat Mihawk if just a little quiet bothered him and itched at his senses like a nasty bug bite.

Zoro could not relax at all. So he walked, and walked, and walked. The sun set, and he trudged on further. 

He supposed he wouldn't beat Mihawk if they weren't successful at this mission anyways. What was one flaw in the grand scheme of things? Besides, it wasn't like the Greatest Swordsman would lock him in a cell to drive him mad with all the quiet. No, that'd be a dishonorable thing to do and not something an accomplished swordsman would do. Mihawk would rather just cut him into ribbons.

He'd better get a damned good thank you for carrying this guy's skinny ass around all day. 

Finally, Zoro stopped under a tree and set the cook down. The man was still limp and unresponsive. The swordsman gave the blond's body a quick once over to check for injuries or signs of hypothermia. So far, he didn't see any. Why couldn't that stupid womanizer just wake up already?

The swordsman heaved out a sigh and resigned himself to popping the buttons out of their cottony confines on Sanji's dreadfully ruined shirt that would no doubt get him kicked when the man woke up later on.

Zoro's fingers slipped on the tiny little devils, but finally he managed to get the damned piece of fabric off. Perhaps, if this were a different time... the sight of the flawless pale skin would make him ache with want and pulse with arousal, but now... He was just worried. 

The marimo counted at least two ribs bruised, if not broken. He hoped for both of their sakes that they were only bruised. Zoro carefully eased the chef out of the shirt and hung it over a low branch.  His features schooled into a scowl, he tore at the sleeve of his yukata until it ripped off the seam. He stood and looked for a body of water. 

After exploring for a few minutes he found a river. If he looked further down stream he even saw the glittering lights of a town in the night.

"We made it," he breathed.

Zoro mentally saved the location so they could return here and make the trek down-river. For now, however, he soaked the sleeve of his green yukata in the ice cold water and hastily made his way back to the sleeping beauty.

He found the tree after going through what must have been a forest of rocks. He seriously wondered how there could be so many of the same rock after he'd consecutively passed it a dozen or so times.

He sat down in the soft dirt by the blond and carefully dabbed at the angry bruises on his abdomen. He even decided he'd be nice and wipe off the mess on the man's face.

That's when the moss-ball discovered two narrow, angry, blue slits glaring ferociously at him. "Bastard... What do you think you're doing, pervert?"

Zoro tensed and looked as if he'd been caught doing something especially naughty; caught with his hands in the cookie jar, indeed. "Uh... Helping?"

A suspicious stare met his slightly guilty, wandering ones. When the blond opened his mouth, Zoro thought he'd definitely get an earful. Instead he swore he'd heard: "It felt nice."

"What?" The marimo asked dumbly.

"You heard me, asshole." A cough then wracked through the blond's body.

The swordsman laid the back of his hand on the chef's forehead. "You're hot."

Sanji did nothing but just look at the national treasure for a minute. Then, he burst out laughing.

Zoro blinked owlishly. "Idiot," he grumbled with a blush spreading over his cheeks. A wave of déjà vu swept over him and he was suddenly reminded of Thriller Bark. He's only heard the cook laugh like this a handful of times. 

Concern quickly replaces nostalgia when Sanji hunches over and wraps his arms around his ribs and chokes on his giggles from the violent coughing.

"Your ribs are bruised," Zoro commented.

"Noticed..." The blond mumbled. 

Sanji splayed out into an exhausted, boneless heap now that his hacking fit was over.

"You manage to find it?" The chef wonders softly.

"Yeah. I found it."

"And?"

"'And', I came back here."

Sanji looked shocked at first, until he was furious. "You came back for me?! Why?! You should have kept going, you stupid shit! Now we'll never find it again!"

Zoro's own temper flares and he shouts right back, "I won't leave you! You're— you're the only one I've got left, shitty cook, and I'll be damned if I give you up too!"

Sanji is stunned into silence. "... I didn't think...that...you..."

"I know. You never do," the marimo smirks.

The chef grits his teeth at the barb but doesn't make a remark back. He lays still for a moment and whispers, "Thanks."

The swordsman smiles, but makes no sound to show that he's heard. The blond's only like this when he's sick, after all. "We should get moving." 

"Mm... Carry me?" The blond murmurs drowsily and holds out his arms.

Zoro grins fondly at the childish display, but picks him up into a princess hold, as requested.

Sanji grunts, "Not what I meant, mossy..." His eyes droop shut lazily.

The swordsman holds back the laugh as best he can, but his shoulders and chest still shake and give him away.

"Sto' laughin', st'pid tree..."

This time, he's unable to bite back his guffaw. An elbow nudges him pathetically, but Zoro is so irrationally smitten once again that he can't even be angry at the weak display. The only thing he can think is how terribly cute Sanji is.

The swordsman sees the frustrating rock and walks by it, hoping to find the river once more. 

**=*^*=**

 

**_TBC_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHAHA I'm so eviiiiill ahh I love it. I love this fandom. I love these two idiots. Ahhh such idiots.


End file.
